Six Inches
by Katty008
Summary: Ellery Queen. Ellery comes back from Wrightsville after two months, bringing with him a solved case and a gunshot wound. Richard is Not Amused, and makes his displeasure known. Loudly.


**Disclaimer: Don't own Ellery Queen.**

**Coda, _Double Double_. Not terrifically spoilery though, doesn't reveal whodunnit. Just Richard being an angry, protective father.**

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Inspector Richard Queen, homicide division, woke up in a good mood. For a moment he couldn't remember why, and then he remembered. He had been awoken in the middle of the night by someone coming in, deemed it to be Ellery finally back from Wrightsville after a whopping two months (he had spent a long time there before, but instances were few and far between), then rolled over and fallen back asleep, thinking about how it was nice that Ellery was back.

His good mood changed to slight puzzlement when, upon entering the bathroom, he found a small bottle of prescription painkillers that hadn't been there the night before. The thought occurred to him that perhaps Ellery was not home because his latest wild goose chase had finished, but because his latest wild goose chase had nearly been finished _for_ him. Then he dismissed the idea of Ellery giving up or being scared off as patently ridiculous.

He left the bathroom and entered the kitchen to find Ellery in a one-armed wrestling match with the coffeepot. His left arm was done up in a sling, and he seemed highly frustrated by his slow progress in creating the morning ambrosia. "Good morning Ellery."

Ellery spun around completely, not twisting his torso. "Oh, good morning Dad. I solved the case, I'm back from Wrightsville."

Richard nodded. "I'd gathered that." He wandered over. "What happened in Wrightsville?" he asked, nodding towards the arm.

"Oh, this? Nothing, just an accident."

Richard was buying that load of baloney about as much as he bought the garbage that Frank Flannigan wrote. "Ellery, what happened?"

Ellery turned back to wrestle with the coffeepot some more. "I happened upon a lead that the culprit didn't want to come out."

Richard sighed, knowing that he was getting warmer but still didn't quite have the whole story. "Ellery, take off your shirt."

Ellery turned again, still not twisting his torso. "What?"

"Take off your shirt," Richard repeated.

Ellery made a show of rolling his eyes while he gingerly slipped out of sling and shirt, letting both fall to the floor. Richard hissed in both anger and sympathy. Ellery's upper arm was wrapped in bandages, and the left side of his torso was covered in a huge, hideous bruise in all the colors of the rainbow.

Richard could feel his temper rising. He had never seen a bruise quite like that one before, but he knew well enough where it had come from. "Ellery, what in God's name were you doing that led you to believe, and rightly so apparently, that you had to go around wearing a _bullet-proof vest_?" he nearly exploded.

"I didn't _believe_ it," Ellery protested. "It was just a hunch and I felt quite silly up until it proved useful."

"Ellery, how far away was the gun?" Richard asked, pursuing a new question.

"Dad, I don't see-"

"Ellery," Richard growled, recognizing avoidance when he saw it, "_The gun_."

"Six inches," Ellery answered, kneeling to pick up his shirt and sling. "Give or take."

Richard's head rolled in a circle. "Oh for-... _six inches?_ You're damned lucky they didn't just take off your head and be done with it! _Six inches!_"

"Dad, I'll be fine, that's all that matters," Ellery tried to reassure as he put his shirt back on.

"See this?" Richard roared as he plucked at his grey hair. "This is all you! You reckless idiot! Couldn't you be a little more careful?"

"Dad, the vest?" Ellery reminded.

"I mean not ending up in these sorts of situations in the first place! Ellery, I honestly don't know whether you're cursed or the luckiest man in New York. Now move and let me make the coffee, you invalid!"

Ellery willingly did so, mildly amused by his father's berating. "Yes Dad, sorry Dad, I'll be more careful next time Dad," he grinned. Richard glared at him, and all was well and forgiven in the Queen apartment.

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**I will admit to reading the part where he was shot three times just because it was so masterfully written. The stupid summary on my copy gave it away that the murderer was going to go after him and was highly distracting with tantalizing hints. The Queen duo are just so brilliant, they complement and bounce off each other perfectly. Drool. Reviews are much appreciated.**


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